Not His Type
by Goddess of the Multiverses
Summary: Malcolm knew what he agreed to wasn't right, but watching Percy suffer in silence didn't sit well with him. If going along with Annabeth's convoluted plans was the only way to help him, Malcolm would do anything. Malcolm/Percy. One-Shot.


**_Not His Type_**

"She wants you to fuck Percy."

Malcolm blinked, opened his mouth, and then blinked again. He looked between his sister and her girlfriend before finally settling on his sister. "You want me to fuck your ex-boyfriend?"

Annabeth huffed, stomping her foot. This only caused Piper to laugh and tug the girl into her lap. "I didn't say that! _I_ said I wanted you to _ask him out_."

"Which means you will eventually fuck him," Piper supplied, yelping as Annabeth smacked her. "What? I'm just getting to the part that will catch his attention"

Malcolm rubbed his forehead. A headache began brewing underneath his eyes. "Not that I would object to fucking Percy Jackson, but explain why you're coming to me for this and not going to, I don't know, _Percy_?" Honestly, Annabeth was the boy's best friend. The least Malcolm expected was for her to approach him first.

Piper's lips parted. Met with Annabeth's glare, the Native American held up her hands, motioning for her girl to continue.

"Thank you." Annabeth squirmed around in Piper's lap before giving Malcolm her full attention. "Percy's lonely. He's surrounded by all these couples, couples that are his friends, but he doesn't have anyone."

"Where do I come in?"

The blonde girl glared. "I was _not_ finished." With an exaggerated sigh, Malcolm crossed his arms. "You come in because Percy has a type. First, he had a crush on Luke."

"It was more than a crush. Everyone in camp knew about... _whatever_ kind of fling was going on between them."

 _"Not the point._ He called it a crush, so I'll go with Percy's terminology. After Luke, there was his thing with me."

Malcolm waved her off. "The 'kind of, but not really a relationship' thing because both of you were _deep_ within the closet?"

"I knew I liked you for a reason," Piper grinned, to which Malcolm raised his eyebrows. Honestly, he had thought his sister would have been better off with the Roman girl, but if this made her happy…Malcolm wouldn't intervene.

Annabeth smacked her again, successful silencing the brunette. "Whatever you want to called it, it was there. Then, of course, Pipes and I saw him ogling at Jason."

"You missed the thing he had with Will." Both girls blinked and Malcolm groaned. "Most of camp missed it, actually. It was right before Will _leaped_ out the closest during the last year of the Titan War. Why do you think I wasn't surprised when Percy came out as gay? I was sworn to secrecy during his fling with Will." That was why Will confided in him so often, and why he was the only child of Athena, other than Annabeth, who was kind to Percy. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

A slow grin formed on Annabeth's face. "This is brilliant! Not only are you his type, but you've kept a secret for him. Percy won't question you asking him out!"

Piper nodded. "Yeah, and it will be such an adorable ship. Ooo, I have to put money on this with my cabin before they start dating. There's a betting pool on who Percy will end up with."

"I know. Everyone in camp has money on it. Well, not everyone. Clarisse's exact words were 'This is barbaric and you'll only scare him away'." Annabeth shrugged. She couldn't understand why Clarisse cared so much. She had never cared about Percy _before_. There was no reason for her to do so now.

Malcolm let them gossip. Never before had he thought Annabeth would be one for gossiping. Again, he thought how being in a relationship with this daughter of Aphrodite was affecting her. He, personally, didn't think it was for the best, but he had stopped trying to dictate his sister's life. He had tried that following the last war, tried taking away responsibility to help her cope, but that had only gotten him a broken nose and almost lost him a sister. Even if he disagreed with Annabeth's choices, Malcolm wasn't willing to risk losing her again.

After a few minutes of the chattering, the blond cleared his throat. "Ladies, I have other things planned today." Once both their eyes were on him, he spoke. "No, I will not be asking Percy Jackson out. Not only does Percy Jackson not like me, but, from what I hear via Will, he doesn't like _anyone_ at the moment. He wants to be alone. He wants to finally _cope_ with what the two wars did to him. You, Annabeth, as his best friend, should allow Percy that."

Annabeth was silent for a moment. Then, she started to glower. "Malcolm Thales Cage, don't tell me what my best friend needs. I don't care if Will Solace dated Percy and _thinks_ he knows what Percy needs. Percy has been my best friend since we were twelve and we dated—somewhat dated—for two years. I _know_ what Percy needs, and being alone is not that. He can't be alone, Malcolm, especially not after Tartarus."

At the use of his middle name, Malcolm leveled her with his own glower. It was a low blow, and Annabeth knew it. Middle names were _never_ used during camp. Surnames were _barely_ tolerated. Using the entire name, especially to scold, did not happen. It was an unspoken rule among the campers.

Hearing the word 'Tartarus' instantly cooled Malcolm's glowing anger. Annabeth had said it with only the slightest amount of stiffening muscles and there was no longer a stutter. It was the least reaction he had seen from his sister since the Giant War had ended and she had confided in him what happened. Pride swelled within Malcolm. She was healing. Maybe he had been wrong about Piper McLean after all...

"I'm still not asking Percy out." His voice had soften by this point; his body had relaxed. Annabeth deflated. "The fact is I don't like him. I feel bad for Percy. I want to help him, but that doesn't mean I have feelings for him." Not in the way Percy would need. Of course, Malcolm cared about him. He had listened to Will coo about Percy multiple times. He had also listened as Will ranted about Percy not getting proper help for his PTSD. Malcolm had even seen Percy without that fake smile he put on. The boy resembled a wounded puppy. It was painful to watch.

"I think you're wrong." It was the first time Piper had spoken up since the gossiping stopped. The girl rested her chin on Annabeth's shoulder and met Malcolm's eyes. "Percy needs someone that will listen to him when he wakes up from a nightmare, someone to hold him when he's too afraid to speak. He needs someone that will make decisions for him; I've seen the way he flinches away from them. Annabeth disagrees with me, but I think he needs a strong force to take charge and drag him in the right direction. You would be able to do that."

The blond blinked. It was the first time he saw a sensible side of Piper, and he was impressed. This _must_ be the girl Annabeth saw, not the child of Aphrodite he had seen. "What makes you think I can do that?"

Piper smiled. "I wasn't around to see how you helped Will, but I saw you with Mitchell." Malcolm stiffened. "That's right, I see the way you treat my brother. Whenever someone picks on him, for his sexual orientation or otherwise, you build up his ego then 'deal' with whoever started his troubles. I've seen you talking with Nico, too. You're helping him accept this just as much as Will is; you're just helping from the sidelines. You're just doing it where no one will see.

Malcolm looked away, cursing himself. He hadn't thought anyone had seen that, how he helped young campers like Mitchell, who had been frightened about coming out. He honestly didn't blame Mitchell. The mortal world wasn't as accepting as the one they belong to. Even then, many demigods and legacies were still affected by those mortal customs, such as how homosexuality was looked down upon. Will had been a strong force in ensuring everyone was accepted. Malcolm had taken to being a quieter force, one that no one knew of until he was needed. It made people like Mitchell and Nico, who needed someone to privately talk to rather than Will's public front, more comfortable. After all, Malcolm wasn't gay—not completely—and seeing that they could be accepted often meant the world to those who talked with him.

"Besides," Piper added, drawing Malcolm's attention back to her, "I think you two would make a cute couple, a nice match even. You can't see it yet, but I'm sure, in time, you'll come to see it the way I do."

"Just because you _think_ we would 'look cute' together doesn't change the fact I _don't_ _like_ Percy. I'm not going to lead him on."

Annabeth sighed, shaking her head. "I was sincerely hoping that it wouldn't come to this." Before Malcolm could question her, she pulled a flash drive from her pocket. "If you ask Percy out and help him along, I'll give you this."

"I don't need another flash drive."

"This isn't an ordinary flash drive." She smirked wickedly. "Before I lost Daedalus' laptop, I made a copy of it. That's right, everything from that laptop is here. I haven't even gotten the chance to look at it all. If you ask Percy out, you can have it."

Malcolm couldn't look away from the flash drive; nothing would have made him look away. Ever since Daedalus had given Annabeth his laptop, she had refused to let anyone else to look at it. No matter how much he begged and pleaded, she wouldn't let him so much as glance at the thing. That had been the first wedge driven between them. Now, she was giving it away? "What's the catch?"

"You have to be with Percy for at least for a year," Piper spoke up. "You have to _be_ with him. There is no acting in this. If he doesn't believe you are there for him, that you give a shit and want to help and care for him, then this bargain is null and void."

Annabeth nodded. "Ask him out, help him, and stay for at least a year. I wish it didn't have to come to this, but I'll do anything to make him happy."

Malcolm bit his tongue. This was unethical. In a year, when this was over, Percy would be heartbroken. He'd be more hurt than he was now. Annabeth and Piper didn't realize what a heartbreak he would be going through when they split up. Or maybe they did? Maybe they considered the heartbreak worth it, because the rest of him will be whole again. After all, if he was going to do this, he planned to do it wholeheartedly. Malcolm wouldn't half-ass this act. He'd stay by Percy side and heal him, because that's what Annabeth requested.

But he wouldn't spontaneously develop feelings for Percy. No, the son of Poseidon wasn't his type. Yes, Percy was gorgeous. Gay, straight, or anyone in between could see that, but Malcolm wasn't interested in…the less intelligent. If they couldn't keep up a decent conversation, then the relationship wouldn't last. From what he saw of Percy, that was unlikely.

A year wasn't that much…365 days of his life. It wouldn't even be every day. He didn't need to spend every day of a year with Percy to date him, just a large number of them. 365 days and a bit of emotional support was the cost for the master piece that was Daedalus' laptop. Lying to a nice, broken person was the cost too. He couldn't forget that. He would be playing with Percy's feelings…but he wasn't _that_ gullible! Percy wouldn't develop real feelings for him, not in a year. Not when Malcolm was being as distant as possible. No. He would be fine. He wouldn't be playing Percy. He'd just…be helping him.

"Deal." And his fate was seal. He was a complete asshole. But for Daedalus' laptop, he was okay with that.

 ** _Not His Type_**

He was going to hell. Not even the good kind of hell. No, when Nico found out what he was planning, the son of Hades would ensure he rioted in the deepest pit of Tartarus for eternity. No one plays with Percy's feelings and gets away with it.

"Malcolm? You're starting to creep me out."

The blond blinked, allowing both his vision and mind to clear. He flushed. He'd lost himself in his own thoughts while his body completed the actions that would lead him to hell. Percy sat before him at Table Three, blinking owlishly and looking every bit like the baby seal Will always compared him to.

 _Good thing he isn't my type_. "Sorry," Malcolm smiled sheepishly. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

A thousand watt grin filled Percy features, one that Malcolm was ninety percent sure was real, but he hadn't seen in years. "It's fine. I _do_ remember how you get when a project's on your mind. We _did_ hang out a lot when Will and I were…a lot closer."

Hmm. Their relationship must still have been a secret, even with both Percy and Will out of their figurative closets.

Malcolm nodded. "Of course I remember." _Here goes everything._ "You smiled a lot back then."

The grinned dimmed. Malcolm was disappointed to find that extremely fake smile take its place. "What do you mean? I still smile a lot."

"No, you don't." He shook his head, frowning for good measure. "Not like you used to. You seemed happier when it was only Will, you, and I."

Even the fake smile disappeared now. "I was happier then. I was happier before I was forced into war and people died. _That_ affected me."

Malcolm bit his tongue. _Damn._ _Wrong direction._ "It's not right seeing you so sad, and I _can_ see how sad you are. I know that smile you put on is fake. It's the same smile you put on when people want you to be 'happy, golden boy, hero'. I know you're coping with the war, with the Underworld—" _never say Tartarus; I learned that with Annabeth_. He swallowed and tilted his head down, looking up at Percy through his fringe. "—but you shouldn't be doing that alone. You've pushed your friends away and no one pushed back. Now, I am. Is there anything I can do to help make that fake smile real?" _There. The ball is in Percy's court. If he says no…then it will take a lot more effort getting Daedalus' laptop._ Part of him hoped Percy would see through him and yell, because Malcolm was doing such an awful thing and he needed some form of retribution.

Percy didn't yell, or curse him for plotting such a thing. Instead, he gave that sad little smile Malcolm had spotted him giving Will, the one that made him look like a wounded puppy. "I…I don't know if you can. I have to go through this alone. I need to heal on my own. I can't," the look he gave Malcolm was filled with longing, "rely on people for everything." He licked his lips. "But, if you want to be there for me along the way, that would be a great help."

Malcolm smiled. "I would like that." He grabbed one of the extra plates and filled it. He wouldn't be going back to his mother's table tonight. "How is your schooling going?"

Percy groaned. "All you Athena kids are the same, asking about my schooling. It's summer!"

 _And, the games begin._

 ** _Not His Type_**

Malcolm wasn't surprised to find that Percy wanted a friend more than a lover. In fact, the sea prince seemed rather reluctant to breach that boundary, even after spending almost every day of a month with Malcolm. Much to his sister's annoyance, Percy seemed happy to keep Malcolm at an arm's distance, or maybe a little closer, but nothing beyond a good friend.

"What do you plan on doing when summer ends?"

Percy had dragged him to the beach again; it was the third time that week. This time, thankfully, he wasn't trying to get Malcolm into the water. It had taken many objections, but Percy had finally gotten it through his head that Malcolm avoided the ocean, and the lake, and bodies of water in general. He was a child of _Athena_. The water didn't agree with him.

"I'll be doing what I do every year, staying at camp, slowly homeschooling myself and whoever asks toward a high school diploma." It probably would have been faster if he was in a public school, or just working by himself and not with ten other high school aged demigods wanting the same thing, but Malcolm couldn't do anything about that. Unlike him, they hadn't discovered a way to work around the dyslexia yet.

The sea prince frowned. "Why don't you go home for the school year?"

Malcolm stiffened. "It's complicated."

"I'm willing to listen." With that came a smile which had been slowly appearing more frequently around him. Percy was becoming more inclined to only give Malcolm real smiles and he suspected it was because Percy knew Malcolm didn't tolerate the fake ones.

Knowing that, his will broke. Percy trusted him with that smile and no one else. "My Aunt and I don't get along." That was the most he willing told anyone about his family, or about why he was a year-rounder at camp. Annabeth had asked when she realized her brother never left. His response had been the same and she hadn't asked again

Percy turned to Malcolm, head tilted. "Don't get along?" he echoed. "What about your father?" Wisely, Athena wasn't mentioned.

Again, Malcolm shrugged. "It's complicated. You probably don't want to listen to my sob story."

Percy snorted. "I understand what complicated is. I also know it's better if you talk about your problems. Maybe, then, it'll be easier to find a solution."

Malcolm arched an eyebrow his way. "Oh, _really_? Where possibly could you have heard such good advice?"

"A very wise smartass once told it to me." He playfully pushed the blond's shoulder. "I'll apply it to myself…eventually. For now, start talking, _oh wise smartass_."

"Well, I would be a bad influence if I didn't apply the advice to myself." Malcolm bit his tongue. Damn. Percy was too clever for his own good. He knew exactly how to use Malcolm's words against him. Still, his family was a sore subject. _But I'll have to give him something eventually. I'm supposed to date him._ "I did live with my father, at one point. He was a brilliant man, a college professor. He taught physics, I believe. Aunt Carrol didn't talk about him much when I moved in with her." He fidgeted. "Father and I were in a car accident when I was four. My car seat was thrown from the car. I don't know if it was Fate or Mother looking after me, but I was perfectly fine. I landed in a grassy patch on the side of the road with nothing more than a scratch across the nose. Father, I'm sure you guessed, did not make it."

Percy took a sharp breath. "That's horrible." He snatched up Malcolm's hand and squeezed it. "You shouldn't have had to go through that."

"And you shouldn't have had to go through Tartarus, but obviously bad things happen to good people." Percy flinched. Malcolm cursed. "Sorry. I know it's still a sore subject."

All Percy did was give him a sad smile. "It's fine. I…I'm not dealing with it well, I know that, but I'm dealing the best way I can."

Taking the change in subject for what it was, Malcolm turned. "Internalizing your problems isn't helping. You've figured that out. You're pushing everyone away Percy—"

"I fucking know that!" His grip on Malcolm's hand tightened. His jaw clenched. "I know, okay?! But I can't. Annabeth tried to get me to talk and I couldn't. She didn't understand that I wasn't ready. I just sit there and listen to her talk about Ta…the pit while I told her everything would be okay." Percy's free hand tugged at his hair. "She's got Piper for that now, and I'm alone just like I need to be. I'm dealing with this."

"Percy, it's not helping. Dealing with it by yourself isn't helping. If you can't talk about it, then let out your built-up emotions." Malcom unwound Percy's hand from his hair, offering a small smile. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

"Bullshit. Everyone leaves."

His lips twitched up into a smile. "Do I look like an 'everyone' to you?"

Percy faltered. His jaw opened and closed a few times. The corners of his lips twitched. Finally, he settled on a smile and relaxed, both his hands settling into Malcolm's. "No. You don't look like an 'everyone' to me... Thanks."

"What are friends for?"

 ** _Not His Type_**

Ever since finding out about his family situation, Percy made a point of staying at Malcolm's side every second of the day. It seemed his moment of sharing had the desired effect. Percy felt comfortable with him, finally accept him as a friend.

Malcolm just wished the sea prince wasn't so clingy. He would have preferred to at least be left in peace to change. With Percy, he wasn't given that luxury.

The rock climbing wall hadn't been kind to him. Malcolm had been left with multiple holes burned into his shirt from the lava and a few first degrees on his skin. He had expected a quick stop by his cabin to change after his infirmary visit. Percy had made a point of stay by his side, even when Malcolm glared and told him to wait outside the cabin.

At least Percy had occupied himself with going through Malcolm's things now, instead of staring at Malcolm's bandages with that wounded puppy look and apologizing for not being quick enough. Malcolm wondered if it was possible to overdose on Percy and how much exposure to his cuteness would equal that.

"I never pegged you as a nerd."

Malcolm glanced over his shoulder. The sea prince had moved on from flipping through the books at Malcolm's bedside table and was now going through the boxes under his bed. He made a face but didn't say anything. There shouldn't be anything more embarrassing than dirty laundry. "Why do you think I'm a nerd?" He disposed of his ruined shirt and fished for a new one.

"You have a box of comic books. You _have_ to be a nerd."

Malcolm froze, eyes wide. He watched Percy digging through his box of comics. It had been shoved against the wall behind everything else. To think Percy had actually gotten to it was amazing. "I don't have to be a nerd."

Percy offered him a grin. "But you are. Don't worry, I am too. I've seen all of the Marvel movies. Speaking of which, where are the Marvel comics? I've only found some Spiderman and Deadpool. Don't you have any for the Avengers or something?"

He snorted. "No, I don't have any for the Avengers. I prefer DC Comics. The only reason I have Spiderman and Deadpool are because those are Clovis' favorites and he insists I read them."

"Clovis?" Percy tilted his head sideways in just the way that made hair fall in his eyes.

Malcolm smiled. _Cute_. "Yes, Clovis. His mother owns a comic book store. He brings me a box to read every summer."

Percy's mouth dropped open. "No way! That's so awesome." His grin was brilliant. "Can you introduce us? Clovis must be awesome if Spiderman's his favorite, right? We could get along."

The blond chuckled. "You could get along with anyone," he shook his head. "I will introduce you. Maybe Clovis will let you borrow a few issues as well. I'm sure he'll have some Avengers."

Suddenly, there was a Percy attached to his side, arms wrapped around him tightly. Malcolm's face turned red. He hadn't put a fresh shirt on yet. "Thanks. You're the best, Mal."

Malcolm wrapped an arm around him and awkwardly patted Percy's back. "No problem? Glad to have you smiling?" After a minute, he pushed Percy away and got off the bed. Quickly, he pulled a clean shirt on. "Put them away. We can go talk to Clovis now, if he's awake."

Percy was improving. He was happy, and smiling, and even willingly giving hugs. Though Malcolm wasn't very touchy-feely—Will only got away with hugging him because the hugs were forced—he felt like he could put up with this. As long as the hugs came from Percy, and the sea prince kept improving, he would live.

 ** _Not His Type_**

Malcolm wasn't sure what roused him from sleep that night, but he soon found himself aimlessly wondering outside.

At least, to his still half asleep mind, it seemed aimless. When he found himself pulling open the door of Cabin three, he wasn't that surprised. Of course, leave it to Percy of all people that would pull him out of an otherwise peaceful sleep for one reason or another. The blond was very nearly tempted to give up this hapless mission of sorts and go back to his bed…but there was a pull. He had gotten up for a reason, might as well stick his head in and check on the sea prince while he was there.

The reason was clear the moment he pulled open the door fully. Percy's scream was enough to pulled Malcolm out of his sleepy state. He hurried inside, slamming the door behind him. Even this didn't rouse Percy.

The dark haired man thrashed in his bed. When Malcolm got closer, he could see tears on Percy's cheeks. He could hardly believe it. Percy was the type that wouldn't even complain about a broken bone. To hear him screaming his throat raw was frightening.

Malcolm dropped onto the bed beside him and rested a hand on Percy's arm to calm him. He flinched when Percy violently pulled away. Nightmare then. He opted to run a hand through Percy's hair. "Percy, wake up. Can you hear me? You're having a nightmare. It's just a bad dream. Once you realize that, you can control it. It's…it's called lucid dreaming, being able to 'wake up' in your dreams and control them," the blond licked his lips. The screaming had wavered to whimpers and sobs. "Listen to my voice. Think of happy things. You said your mom always made you blue pancakes on Sundays? Remember that? Gods, I'll never understand your odd obsession with blue things. All that blue food coloring cannot be good for your body. Did you know some blue food dyes have been banned in certain countries? That's how bad it is for you…and how is your mouth not blue with how much blue colored food you eat?" He shook his head. "I will never understand why I put up with you Percy."

When he glanced at the sea prince again, he was no longer thrashing. Percy had settled against his side, curled around where Malcolm sat. His face was even pressed into Malcolm's thigh. He raised an eyebrow and went to stand. Percy whimpered. He rolled his eyes. "If you're intent on holding me prisoner…" He kicked off his shoes and laid beside the sea prince, who made quick work of pressing into Malcolm's chest.

Malcolm rolled his eyes again. "What am I going to do with you Percy Jackson?" At least his night terror had passed. That's all that mattered at this point.

He closed his eyes. He wouldn't be leaving anywhere soon, the least he could do was use this time to sleep. When the sun rose, he would sneak out and Percy wouldn't notice the difference. Yeah. That's what he would do.

 ** _Not His Type_**

Fourth of July celebration was…interesting. Of course, Malcolm invited Percy to come with him. Not only because he was still working on the "seducing" thing, but also because Percy was planning on being alone. Apparently, he had rejected Annabeth's invitation and he had _seen_ Percy reject Leo's, which was rather odd. Since Leo had come back from his disappearing act, he was attached at the hip with Percy whenever both were at the same Camp.

Not requiring his sister's prodding, Malcolm had insisted Percy come with him. After informing Percy that he wasn't accepting the "I want to sulk and be alone" bullshit, Percy had agreed. He had agreed just like that to Malcolm, despite rejecting when Annabeth had all but begged her best friend to tag along. Needless to say, everyone involved was surprised by Percy's willingness was an understatement.

Sadly, Percy was sulking before the festivities even began. Not wanting to deal with the bullshit, the blond handed Percy their blanket and allowed him to pick their spot. "I'll catch up when your pouting fest is over. _I_ came to have fun." It was cruel, and it sent Percy scurrying away with his metaphorical tail between his legs, but Malcolm refused to deal with the bullshit that day, of all days. He missed his friends. With spending so much time around Percy, he hadn't be able to hang out with them as much.

Will was the first one to approach him, eyebrows arched. "I think your Percy is pouting. You might want to check on that."

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "Firstly, he's not my Percy. Secondly, he's being annoying with all this sulking. This is supposed to be a day for fun, that's why I invited him."

The son of Apollo rolled his eyes in return. "Did you think of asking him why he's sulking? Maybe that's what he wants?" At Malcolm's dumbfound expression, he chuckled. "Please don't tell me I read Percy better than you. We had a thing, but you two have been getting closer and closer over the summer. You must at least speak _some_ Percy."

Biting his tongue, he shrugged. "It's a language I'm still learning." The whole point of this was to help Percy. He needed someone close to him, whether that was a friend or lover, and he was trying to fill that hole. The thought that he could have a chance of doing that was why Malcolm had agreed to Annabeth's "wager". "I should probably go check on him." He turned, only to find Percy smiling with Leo. He grinned. "Look. He's happy now. I'm sure I can spare a few minutes."

Will sighed as he watched Malcolm walk off. That boy was hopeless.

Percy frowned as he saw Malcolm and Will talking. He hadn't realized they were still friends. He knew, during the Titan War at least, the two had been well acquainted. Malcolm had, after all, walked in on Will and him a few times during their…fling. It was part of the reason why he had yet to push Malcolm away. The son of Athena seemed to genuinely want to be his friend. While he wouldn't admit it aloud, Percy knew a nonbiased, nonjudgmental friend was what he needed. Malcolm was exactly what he needed, and he wasn't willing to give him up.

"Hey!" Leo dropped down onto the blanket beside him, arm wrapping around Percy's shoulders. "I thought you weren't coming."

Percy flushed, partially from his thoughts and partially from the natural heat Leo put out. "Mal dragged me along. I wasn't 'allowed to sulk', apparently." He smiled, remembering Malcolm storming into his cabin. He'd been annoyed at the time, but didn't regret coming.

The Latino tightened his arm around his friend. "Good. I wouldn't want you to miss the fireworks. We wanted to make sure it was even bigger than our celebration one last year." Someone called Leo's name in the distance. The fire bug hugged his friend. "I better get going. Oh, and one thing."

"Yeah?"

"Don't miss out on that other good thing you have going, either. No reason to let good things slip away." Percy followed his eyes, blush darkening when they landed on where Malcolm and Katie Gardener were talking.

He turned away. "Shuddup."

Leo laughed, offering his friend one final squeeze before taking off, supposedly to help his brothers with the firework display.

With his only distraction gone, Percy turned his attention back to Malcolm. The blond was still talking to Katie, laughing with the girl. He looked genuinely happy. Percy felt his stomach twist. He shouldn't feel jealous, but it didn't seem fair. Malcolm was _his_. Malcolm had been his for the last month and no one had complained before. He stood up. Katie was not going to take that away from him.

"Percy!"

Malcolm glanced up, only to find Percy suddenly beside him. Percy locked their arms together, to which Malcolm raised an eyebrow. The bright smile stuck on Percy's face was all the kept him quiet. "Hey Malcolm." The sea prince gave Katie a nod, "Hello Katie."

The child of Demeter offered him a smile. "Hey Percy. Nice to see you out and about again."

Percy chuckled. "Yeah. It's all thanks to Mal, too. He's been a really good friend." He turned that beaming smile on Malcolm.

The blond had to look away. He thought it before and he would again, Percy could get anything he wanted with the smile. It was amazing he hadn't already dominated the world by turning those large round eyes and kind smile one someone important. Someone more important than him, at least.

"That's really cool Percy." Malcolm blinked, watching as Katie shifted on her feet. "Good luck with him. I will see you around Malcolm."

His eyes widened. "You don't have to…" But Katie only waved him off, offering Percy a smile as she left. Malcolm's eyes darkened. "What just happened?"

Percy was holding back a smirk. "If you hadn't been spacing out, you could have been part of the conversation." His arm tightened around Malcolm's. "Come on. The fireworks should be starting soon. Let's get back to our blanket."

Before he was given the chance to object, Malcolm was tugged along and forced to sit on the blanket, arm still intertwined with Percy's. All he could do was stare at the son of Poseidon in amazement. This kid, this bright eyed, mostly innocent kid he was stuck with, had cock blocked him.

Okay, well, maybe he hadn't had much of a chance with her before Percy showed up, but Katie seemed all too happy to leave the moment he did. Malcolm could not for the life of him figure out what it was Percy could have said to give her such a reaction. He hadn't noticed anything specific, but he had also spaced out at one point, as Percy had already pointed out.

Malcolm sighed. It was definitely disappointing that he had put so much time into getting the attention of a girl who wasn't interested, but he couldn't dwell on that. There would be other girls, probably some better than Katie Gardener, even if he really did like her. Until they came around, he had a Percy to heal.

He glanced over at the sea prince only to be met with those endless green eyes. Malcolm felt his cheeks heating up. He would have never used to word calculating to describe Percy's eyes before, but that was the only word that would properly fit the light in them. For a full five seconds, the frown on his face stayed. Then, quickly, Percy's lips turned up. "Thanks for everything. Camp has been a lot more fun with you around."

Malcolm did not get the chance to reply. The loud bang of fireworks being set off filled the air. Percy's head snapped around to watch as the first one shot above the harbor. "What are friends for?" The corner of Percy's lip twitched. He had heard, and it had been the exact right thing to say if the way Percy leaned into his side was anything to go by.

 ** _Not His Type_**

For the life of him, Malcolm couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when he agreed to Percy's offer. Knowing Percy, he had asked while Malcolm was distracted (an occurrence that became more common the more comfortable he became around Percy) and Malcolm had agreed, not having hearing Percy's request at all.

Either way, _excluding_ the fact he had been tricked, Malcolm didn't see much con to living with Percy for the school year. Yes, he would have to stay with Percy's mother and stepfather as well, but nothing could be worse than the many years he spent living with his Aunt. On the pro side, this would enable him to not only get closer to Percy, but also attend a regular high school. He felt bad for leaving the campers behind, but someone would pick up his place as makeshift teacher. This was an opportunity he would not pass on. It was a win-win, in his case.

He wondered if Percy felt the same…

It was becoming more and more difficult to get a read on the sea prince. He was steadily improving, yes, but his intentions seemed blurry. The more comfortable Malcolm became with Percy's presence, the more difficult his emotions became to read. It worried him. Any day, Percy's emotional state could take a nosedive for the worse. Malcolm had seen it. People recovering nicely from a trauma, then suddenly falling off the deep end. As much as he had tried to distance himself from that in the beginning, Malcolm couldn't anymore. If something happened to Percy Jackson, he would care.

"Where are all your things?"

Malcolm frowned. "This is everything?" It came out more as a question than he intended.

He had one box. Malcolm didn't own much, most of the books he used belong to the Athena cabin and he couldn't take those with him. The majority of the box had been filled with his clothing, which had accumulated over the years in his vain attempt to avoid doing laundry.

Percy frowned as well. "That can't be everything. You don't have to leave anything at Camp, Mal. We have enough space in my Mom's apartment. If not, it won't be hard to make room."

"No…this is everything," Malcolm utter meekly. Something squeezed in his chest. Was it…not normal to have just enough to fit in a single box? Of course it was normal, especially when taking into consideration that he lived in tight quarters with twelve other siblings, all varying in age. No one could possibly have many things when considering the variables in his situation.

Yet, the way Percy looked at him with those large, sad eyes made his chest tightened. Apparently, it wasn't normal. That didn't mean Percy had to look at him in such a way. Malcolm did not need nor want the pity…but that didn't change the surge he felt in his chest to know that Percy Jackson cared enough to pity—he would even go so far in using the word worry about—him.

Damn Annabeth. He wasn't supposed to get in this deep. "Are you ready to go?"

Like flipping a switch, Percy's smile was back in place. "Yeah, I dropped my bags off with my mom before coming here. She's waiting at the top of the Hill to drive us home."

Malcolm smirked. "Does this mean I finally get to meet this amazing mother you're always going on about?"

Percy's face lit up a delicious red. Malcolm couldn't help but stare. "I don't talk about my Mom that much. Really though, she is amazing. I put her through a lot and she's never once raised her voice to me. She'll always just shake her head and ask what I wanted for dinner. I couldn't ask for a better mom."

"I'll bet." From stories alone, Malcolm would choose Sally Jackson over Athena any day. His own mother could be a nice woman, when she noticed him. Mrs. Jackson, however, always had her son on her mind. It was the type of parent any demigod would hope for, but so rarely received. "How many schools have you been expelled from? Thirteen?"

"…something like that."

Malcolm shook his head. "You've put that poor woman through too much. You aren't allowed to get expelled this year. Understand Percy? Not only would it further reflect badly on yourself, but it would reflect badly on me as well. What would my dear sister think if she finds out I've been allowing her friend to slack?"

He snorted. "Annabeth can suck it. If either of you had been in my situation, you would have reacted the same. Besides, it isn't as if I _failed_. I've only been told not to attend the following year."

"A C average is not considered passing."

"Hey! It is by the US education system!"

Malcolm waved off the protest, dismissing it. "It is not considered passing by my standards. You will be doing much better this year."

"It's nice to know Percy has friends who care about his schooling so much."

Sally Jackson stood beside Thalia's tree, chuckling as she watched the two boys bicker. Malcolm now knew where Percy got his smile. Sally Jackson also possessed that smile that could make an army drop their swords. "It's nice to meet you Mrs. Jackson," Malcolm greeted.

"Just Sally, dear. No need for those formalities around me." Without another word, Sally took Malcolm's box from him and started down the hill. "I was thinking blueberry pancakes for dinner. They're Percy's favorite and would be a nice way of saying 'welcome home'. What do you think, Malcolm?"

Malcolm blinked after her. "Uh." It was Percy's giggling that snapped him out of it. He glared at the teen, smacking his arm away when he tried to lock theirs together. "Mrs. Jackson—"

"It's Sally, dear."

"Fine. Sally, you don't have to do that. I can carry my own things."

Sally laughed. "Nonsense. You are our guest. The least I can do is carry your things."

He shook his head. "But you don't have to. I'm perfectly capable of doing that on my own."

At this point, Sally had reached her car and was putting Malcolm's things in the trunk. "Malcolm, Percy does not bring people home very often. Excluding you, I've only met three of his friends. You're obviously important to my son, so I will treat you as such." She closed the trunk. "Allow me this."

Malcolm sighed. "You and your son are too much alike Sally. If you insist, I will not stop you."

Sally's smile reminded him of Percy's, the one that he was sure no one but he ever saw. "Thank you. Now, how do you feel about blueberry pancakes?"

 ** _Not His Type_**

Malcolm was pleased. High school turned out to be rather pleasant. Given, he didn't care much for some of the school's occupants, both teachers and students alike, but that could be easily ignored. The coursework was simple in most cases, but the library was well stocked and the librarian willing to point him in the right direction.

Sally and Paul were nice as well. Both seemed elated that Percy was opening up after all the things he had been through. It had taken a month before Paul truly accepted him, but Malcolm understood that. With the way the man had watched him, it was obvious Paul simply wanted to protect his stepson. Seeing that Malcolm only wanted to help had eased his worries.

The only problem he had were the sleeping arrangements. The apartment only had two bedrooms, resulting in his sharing a room with Percy. It was tight quarters, feeling smaller than the Athena cabin at times. Malcolm constantly had the room's single window open in hopes of striving off his quickly developing claustrophobia. Percy was a good sport about it. He kept his things neat and organized. Malcolm was thankful for that. It was nice knowing that Percy cared for him and their developing friendship meant something.

Months passed quickly. Winter break was upon them, and Christmas soon enough. Malcolm was displeased to know Percy and he only received two weeks off for school, going back the Monday following New Years Day. Hopefully, those two weeks would pass at a slower pace than the months before had.

Malcolm was putting away his army cot (Paul's solution to Malcolm's complaints of sleeping on an air mattress), when he heard foot falls. He paused. It wasn't Percy. Percy was still in the kitchen with Sally, cooking Christmas breakfast. Paul should be with them as well, brewing coffee. Better yet, the family hadn't mentioned any visitors, certainly none that would use the fire escape as entry.

Swiping one of the daggers he had hidden in their desk, Malcolm spun around. He cursed. "What the hell are you doing here, di Angelo?"

Nico smirked, raising both eyebrows and nodding to his dagger. "Do you honestly think you could win a fight against me?" His hand wrapped around the hilt of his blade, fastened to his belt. Malcolm looked the son of Hades up and down before lowering his dagger. "That's what I thought."

Malcolm rolled his eyes. He stashed the dagger away. "You didn't answer my question."

"I know."

He huffed. "You're annoying."

At this, Nico grinned. "Thank you. Where's Percy?"

He couldn't help but snort. "I thought you had gotten over him. Isn't that what you told Will?"

Nico's cheeks took on a pink tint. Malcolm wished he had a camera; no one would believe him otherwise. "I am, asshat. Just because I'm getting over Percy doesn't mean he isn't my best friend." His jaw visibly clenched. "Besides, I have a standing invitation from Sally to come over on holidays."

"So you haven't gotten over him yet?" Nico's eye twitched. Seeing his hand tightened around his sword, Malcolm wisely changed the subject. "Are you the friend that doesn't like doors?"

Nico made a face. "What?" His hand dropped to his side and the blond sighed in relief.

"Sally said that Percy has a friend who doesn't like doors, one that tends to pop out of nowhere." Malcolm motioned to Nico as a whole. "You seem to fit that description perfectly if you're always showing up from the fire escape. Be careful, though, Paul might get the wrong idea if he only ever sees you entering and exiting from Percy's room."

His lips twitched upward and Malcolm knew he had won. "I'll keep that in mind." Nico's nose twitched. "Smells as if Percy's make his traditional blue Christmas breakfast."

It was Malcolm's turn to raise an eyebrow. "As in, blueberry pancakes?" He had seen both Percy and Sally make those on multiple occasions.

Nico smirked around. "Let it be a surprise." He jumped off the windowsill, closing it behind him. "Don't leave the window open, or someone will catch a cold." He stripped of his aviator jacket, something Malcolm had personally never seen Nico without, and his sword, to which he explained, "Sally doesn't like seeing our weapons. 'Kids shouldn't have them' she says, so I go along with it."

Malcolm nodded his understanding. "I figured. She kept making faces when she noticed I had brought swords and daggers with me." Though, he suspected some of those had been made toward his lack of personal possessions. Ever since, she had offered to take him shopping, whether it be for clothes, books, or everything in between.

"Malcolm?" The blond turned. Nico had stopped in the doorway of Percy's bedroom.

"Yeah?"

Nico had pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. "What are your intentions with Percy?"

The blond frowned. He hadn't been looking forward to this moment. Nico di Angelo was extremely protective of his friends. Anyone who looked passed his cold outer personality could see that. It didn't help that he obviously wasn't as "over Percy" as he professed.

Malcolm's throat tightened. He didn't like that. He didn't like the thought of Percy with Nico. It didn't matter how nice of a guy Nico could be. Percy deserved better. "I'm not sure yet." His voice was surprisingly even despite the lie. Annabeth wouldn't be happy if he died before her friend had been 'healed'. "For now, I'm his friend. He's hurting and I want to help him."

Those dark eyes bored into him. Malcolm wondered if Nico could see through his bullshit, even if it was half true. Finally, Nico nodded. "I can accept that for now. You're not allowed to hurt him. If you do, I will deal with you." He turned from him, leaving the room behind.

Malcolm followed him. "And you're fine with that?"

Nico paused. "I have to be." He shook his head. "Percy doesn't see me that way. I get that. He likes blondes, smart ones." He turned, dark eyes narrowing. "The problem with blondes is that they always, _always_ break his heart. Let's not let that happen again. Agreed?" Not waiting for a response, Nico went on. Malcolm heard him entering the kitchen, following by excited chatter.

Well, it seemed Malcolm now had an unexpected obstacle. It would be fine, though. He just couldn't break Percy's heart, which shouldn't be difficult. Percy was only his friend at the moment, a very close friend but a friend all the same.

He wondered if Annabeth would count this as "dating". She had said that he had to be Percy's boyfriend for an entire year. Malcolm had already been working on friendship for six months now. If Percy was healed without their needing to date, would Annabeth count that? It was something he would need to ask next time they saw one another. Or maybe he could write her? His sister was attending a boarding school in California with Piper and he wouldn't see her until summer. Yes, writing her would be a more sensible plan.

 ** _Not His Type_**

 _Malcolm,_

 _Use your best discretion regarding your problem. We can talk more in length this summer at camp._

 _Annabeth_

It had taken a month for Annabeth to receive and reply to his letter. He had done it through the mortal mail system, resolving it was a better option than going through Hermes. He had been blunt in that letter, not bothering to be at all sensitive toward the subject. He thought Annabeth deserved it. This could all have all been avoided if she hadn't pulled out the copy of Daedalus' laptop and tempted him.

"Annabeth's been writing to you?"

Malcolm jumped, nearly dropping his letter. He turned his head slightly and Percy moved back a few inches, having been reading over the blond's shoulder. A deep frown pulled at Percy's lips, causing Malcolm to frown as well. He glanced back to the letter, then offered it to Percy. "I wrote to her first," he explained. "My sister and I made a type of…bet, I suppose. If I can solve this problem in a designated time period, she'll give me Daedalus' laptop."

Percy cocked his head to the right. Malcolm gripped the desk to keep from moving his hands. Percy kept getting cuter and cuter every day, more resembling a puppy. "I thought that fell into T…the pit."

He couldn't say Tartarus and Malcolm wouldn't push him to. Percy had made too much progress for him to push for one little word. "It was, but Annabeth had copied it to a flash drive before that. It may not have all the neat features the laptop came with, but all of Daedalus' notes and plans will still be present." He chuckled. "That's why I'm so determined to win this…bet."

"Okay." Percy accepted the letter, glancing over it before handing it back. "Annie's never written to me before, so I was curious. What's the bet about?"

Malcolm bit his tongue at this. "It's complicated. I don't know how to begin explaining it." There. That would put Percy off. He tilted his head back. "My apologies."

"It's okay." One of those breathtaking smiles pulled at Percy's lips, replacing his frown from before. "You'll explain it to me when you can, right? I want to help you beat Annabeth; she doesn't lose often."

"Of course." Malcolm couldn't help but grin. "I could always use your creative thinking. I'll never understand why Annabeth gave up on you."

Percy flushed and glanced away. "I'm not smart enough. And, you know, I have the wrong parts."

Malcolm grabbed Percy's chin, turning his face back toward him. "That's the part I don't understand. You are smart. Maybe not in the typical way, but I've seen you improve so much this year. Just listen to the way your mother boasts about your grades." Sally had cornered Malcolm two months into the school year, thanking him for helping her son. He hadn't even realized he was doing it, but apparently Percy's grades had improved greatly after they studied together. He caressed Percy's cheek. "Don't ever let someone say you aren't smart enough."

The delicious blush spread to Percy's ears. His lips part some, then closed. Malcolm watched as he gulped. "I really like you."

He frowned. "Huh?"

"Yeah." Percy bit the inside of his cheek. " _Like_ you, like you." The corner of his lips turned up. "I sound as if I'm in grade school, but I thought you should know. That way, the next time you're flirting with Katie and I make a fool of myself, you won't think I'm being a bad friend."

Malcolm blinked, his own cheeks taking on a pink tint. "'Flirting with Katie'?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah, Katie Gardener. You were flirting with her all summer, and I didn't like it. It took me a while to realize I was so mean to Katie because I was jealous. Now, I've finally decided to do something about that."

He swallowed. "Oh, really? What are you going to do?"

"Not quite sure, considering you're straight. Flirting with straight guys never turns out well, trust me on that."

"Who said I was straight?" It slipped out before Malcolm could fully think it through. He hadn't seen this coming. He hadn't expected Percy Jackson to _like_ him, have _feelings_ for him, _flirt_ with him. Malcolm sure as hell didn't expect to be okay with it.

Percy's lips parted into a little 'o'. "Was I making silly assumptions?"

Malcolm snorted. "You were."

"I won't make that mistake again." A hint of hesitation clouded his eyes. Percy gave a little nod, almost to himself, before he pressed a kiss to Malcolm's cheek. "Will you go on a date with me?"

"Yes. I would love that." The fact that he didn't have to think about the answer frightened him. Thoughts like that quickly went away as he watched the brilliant grin slip onto Percy's face. Malcolm had never seen a smile like that directed toward him before. In fact, he hadn't seen Percy use that smile before, not even in the happier days.

He didn't consider how this could help with the deal he made with Annabeth until days later.

 ** _Not His Type_**

Piper Mclean could kiss his ass with her idiotic matchmaking senses. 'Cute couple' she had called them, as if she hadn't planned this all along. Malcolm was beginning to doubt that Annabeth had been the original one to come up with the idea of his asking Percy out. It had probably been Piper, wanting to win that betting pool going on in her cabin.

Or maybe she really did care. She was dating Annabeth and _had_ to realize what Percy meant to her. Perhaps she had decided to take Percy's future into her own hands, then use Annabeth to act out her plans because she knew Malcolm would listen to his sister long before he took the opinion of some random Aphrodite spawn.

Piper was much more manipulative than anyone gave her credit for. If this had been her plan all along…then Malcolm thought they might have a chance of being friends one day. Anyone brilliant enough to weave this web obviously was worthy of a lot more than simple friendship. Unfortunately, the situation with Piper wasn't the problem at hand.

He was going on a date…with Percy. A date with Percy 'everyone-wants-to-fuck-me' Jackson. Percy had asked _him_ on a date. That was the part Malcolm couldn't get passed as he stared in the mirror, nervously messing with his hair. For the umpteenth time, he straightened out his shirt (one of the nice dress shirts Sally had given him for Christmas upon noticing that his wardrobe only included t-shirts and jeans). Every time he shifted, a new wrinkle would form and Malcolm couldn't stand to look at it. He had to be perfect. _This_ had to be perfect.

He wasn't only obsessing because of his want to win Daedalus' hard drive. Though this date would greatly help his plans, Malcolm was also excited for personal reasons. He had, understandably, never been on a date before. Not many people at Camp had caught his interest and the ones that did—Katie for example—he had put off asking for fear of rejection. Before Camp, he was too young to be interested in girls, or in boys.

That was something he was still coming to terms with. Malcolm always knew he wasn't completely straight. He could see the beauty in the male body. This was something he used to his advantage when acting as a confidant to Mitchell and Nico. He _had_ been attracted to males before, but it was never more than a passing bit of lust. It wasn't like that with Percy.

Malcolm was attracted to him. _Shocker_. Percy Jackson was gorgeous; very easy on the eyes. That wasn't surprising. A lot of people, male and female, were attracted to Percy. It wasn't only his looks, though. What Malcolm was currently curious about was when he had stopped seeing Percy's appearance and noticed his inner beauties. It sounded like a cheesy anime every time he considered it, but Malcolm knew this attraction he felt was deeper than the lust in everyone's eyes when they looked at the sea prince. He had to assume this want of Percy Jackson—of a relationship with him, not just sex—had started when Malcolm stopped seeing him as an idiot. That was the one quality he had never been able to look passed in a person. Obviously, it was a quality Percy never possessed in the first place.

Percy wasn't an idiot. He had never found a way to learn around his dyslexia, but that was the extent of his low grades. Malcolm resolved that issue quickly, and Percy's grades skyrocketed as result.

He would never tell Percy about his and Annabeth's (and maybe Piper's name should be added to that list) little deal. Whether this experiment of a relationship worked out, or they just went back to remaining friends, it would backfire on him. Not only would it look as if Malcolm was using him, but it would completely shatter whatever friendship Percy and Annabeth had. Malcolm refused to be the reason their friendship fell apart.

He really wanted things to go well.

Percy was waiting for him in the living room when Malcolm stopped obsessing over his appearance. The blond stood silently in the doorway for a moment, watching as Percy wiped his palms on his jeans and fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. Seeing that he wasn't the only nervous one worked well in relaxing him some.

Malcolm cleared his throat.

Percy was on his feet immediately, fidgeting with his fingers rather than his shirt him. His green eyes widened some, and Malcolm flushed as they swept down his form. "You look really nice."

He bit his tongue to stop from saying something that could be considered rude. No longer pretending, Malcolm let his glaze rake in Percy's outfit. His eyes lingered on the tight fitting jeans for longer than necessary before eventually settling on the dark haired male's flushed face. _There._ He wasn't the only one embarrassed now. " _Please._ I think we both know who is the better looking of us two."

A lazy grin slipped onto Percy's face. "Obviously you have yet to catch your appearance in a mirror."

Malcolm felt his flush darkening. _If only you'd seen me just a few minutes ago…_ "Where are your parents?" Sally was off that night, and Paul was always home during the nights with his job as a school teacher.

"I banished them to the kitchen for the time being." Percy's grin turned into a smirk. "Mom was being embarrassing enough with just me in here. I didn't want her to start on you. We have until tomorrow before she bombards either of us with questions."

"That was…rather thoughtful of you. Thank you Percy."

He waved the blond off. "It was more for me than you. My face can only turn so red before it bursts."

"Hmm." Malcolm gave a small nod of agreement.

And, so the staring match ensued. Malcolm could feel the sweat prickling on the back of his neck. This date thing wouldn't be so great if they continued breaking off into these awkward silences.

It was Percy who broke first, thankfully within sixty seconds after the silence started. He motioned to the front door. "Shall we get going? I mean, we have all night, and no rush, but Paul won't take his banishment to the kitchen well for very long."

Malcolm snorted, smiling for the first time that night. Maybe things wouldn't be as bad as he first assumed. "Yes. Let's head out." He could hear Sally cooing as they left the apartment. He glanced over at Percy, seeing the demigod's face red, but did not dare glance back to see Sally herself. That would, no doubt, cause his own face to light up.

They had made it onto the streets at this point and Malcolm realized he had no idea where they were going. "What are the plans for tonight?"

"I'm glad you asked!" The blond rolled his eyes at his…date. Yes, that's what Percy was. "You see, I really did put effort into this. I knew it was a little too late to pick something for Valentine's Day—"

"Valentine's Day is an over commercialized holiday created specifically to sell overpriced cards and flowers."

"…and I knew you would say something like that." Malcolm flushed at the grin Percy was shooting him. "I decided to go with something romantic that you wouldn't kill me for."

Malcolm raised his eyebrows in question, waiting. He huffed when Percy ignored him. "That didn't answer my question."

Percy smiled slyly. "I know, but that would ruin the surprise. I know, the suspense is killing you."

" _I'll_ kill you if this turns out to be something incredibly embarrassing, like ice skating."

The darker haired male laughed. "I _knew_ you would say something like that," he shook his head. "No, no. You don't get to watch me make a fool of myself until at least the third date."

He frowned. "You're a son of Poseidon. I would think that anything to do with water, frozen or otherwise, you would be amazing at."

"Nah." Percy shook his head. "I've always been shit at skating. My Mom actually took me a lot when I was younger, because it didn't cost much. We only ever had to pay a few dollars to rent skates. I was horrible, always falling on my ass, but Mom had fun so I put up with it. As I'm sure you've figured it out, I would do anything for my Mother."

"Yeah. Sally is amazing. She's more than anyone could ever ask for," Malcolm smiled. He had heard many good things about Sally in the past. He hadn't believed all of them until he was living with the woman and saw how kind she was for himself. It was obvious where Percy's kindness and looks came from. Sally had raised him to be beautiful on the inside and out.

Percy gave a little nod. "Yeah. She's certainly a lot more than I have ever deserved."

"Maybe," Malcolm frowned deeply, "but she was exactly what you needed. Never think for a moment Sally would have wanted anything different. She's your mom. All she wants is for you to be safe and happy. Aren't you?"

The dark haired male nodded. "Yeah. With her, I've always felt safe, and she always knew exactly what she had to do to make me happy." He sighed. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. It's not exactly first date material."

Malcolm snorted. "Your mother loves you, so get that through your thick head." He bumped Percy's shoulder to further punctuate his point.

"Whatever you say, _dearest_."

He sneered and slammed into Percy's shoulder, succeeding in making Percy laugh. With the darker topic passed, Malcolm focused back on the problem at hand. "Jackson, where are we going? How long are you going to make me walk?"

Percy clutched his chest, gasping. "You wound me! It's been years since we were on a last name basis, Cage." He shook his head. "Woe is me. I have dropped in your mighty opinion. How will I ever fix this?"

" _Percy_! Stop making a scene!" Malcolm's eyes darted around. A few people had glanced their way, most were smiling. That didn't make his blush any lighter. Nor did it do anything to dim the bright grin Percy was sporting. He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

This single action, like no other, sobered Percy. His grin dropped and he hesitated in wrapping an arm around Malcolm. Even when he did, it mostly hovered over Malcolm's waistline, bumping against his hip every few steps. "Hey. I'll stop, okay? Don't get like that. I'm sorry."

"Let go. Everyone is looking." When the arm didn't move, Malcolm scuffed and stepped out of it.

"Malcolm, no one's looking at us." Percy helped up his hands as Malcolm glared at him. "Yeah, okay, some people are looking, but some people are always looking. They don't matter, anyway. There are enough gay couples in New York that another one isn't much of a shocking sight."

The blond stopped at this words, closing his eyes. He could feel Percy's hand on his shoulder, grabbing it gently. "The world isn't all gumdrops and sugarplums. Not everyone is as understanding as you think they are."

Two hands were on his shoulders now. "I know. I'm not a complete idiot."

Malcolm's eyes shot open. "You aren't an idiot at all Jackson."

That brought a smile to Percy's face. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Cage," he chuckled. "Don't worry what the rest of the world thinks. They aren't going to bother us. If they do, who do you think is going to win in a fight? Average jerks, or trained demigods?" Malcolm chuckled and Percy's smile widened. "See? It's about us tonight. Worry about enjoying yourself."

Malcolm didn't pull away when Percy took his hand, though he did huff. "You better _hope_ I enjoy myself. You won't be getting a second date if I don't."

"Ah! You wound me again." This was said just as dramatically, if not quieter, than his first show. "I thought you liked me. Would you truly hold one bad date against me, to never have a second chance?"

He pursed his lips. "Maybe. Let's see how this one goes before we start talking about a second one Percy."

Percy chuckled. "Alright. As long as we're back to first names, Malcolm."

 ** _Not His Type_**

"Seriously?"

Percy grinned. "Seriously."

Malcolm rolled his eyes and leaned back in his booth, arms crossed over his chest. This action only made Percy's grin larger. "We are getting ice cream? It's February in New York Percy. Do you know how cold it is outside?"

"Thirty something?" He shrugged. "Ice cream is good at any time of the year."

He snorted. "Not when it's freeze your ass off cold."

His complaints didn't stop Percy from ordering an ice cream sundae when the waitress arrived to take their orders. Still feeling pouty, not that he would admit it, Malcolm added, "And a basket of fries."

Percy raised his eyebrows in question, but nodded to the request, nonetheless. "Are the fries a compromise for making you eat ice cream?"

"You're not making me do anything. I agreed to this date of my own free will. If that means eating ice cream, so be it," Malcolm shrugged. "Besides, the fries are for the sundae."

"For the…sundae?" Percy tilted his head.

Malcolm couldn't help but smile. When he thought Percy couldn't get any more adorable, he does something like that. "Yeah. I dip my fries in ice cream."

Percy spluttered. "You…dip French fries in _ice cream_?" The blond nodded. "Like, actual salty fries in ice cream?"

"Yes, I do. Do you have a problem with that?" He unfolded his arms, leaning forward on the table.

He shook his head. "No, no. Of course not. I mean, it's weird, but at least you're not telling me you eat cold leftover pizza."

The blond set his jaw. "I do eat cold pizza."

Percy coughed. "What did I ever see in you? To think, you're one of those _weird_ people that dip French fries in ice cream and eat cold pizza." He tsked, "I thought you were special, Mal."

Malcolm glared at him, though his lips tried twitching into a smile. "You're not allowed to say that. You eat blue scrambled eggs, and blue pasta, and blue everything. I'm normal compared to you."

"Normal?" Percy leaned forward. Malcolm could feel Percy's breath. "Malcolm Cage, why would you ever want to be normal when abnormality is so much fun?"

He smiled slightly. "At least, when you're normal, people don't constantly stare at you."

Percy reached over and cupped Malcolm's cheek. "I thought we went over this. It doesn't matter what other people think. It will be us against the world."

"Us against the world?"

"Yeah. And I'm allowed to say that because I saved it twice in two years' time."

Malcolm snorted. "Maybe."

Nodding, Percy leaned back. "Okay. As long as you remember that." As their waitress brought their sundae and fries, he made a face. "I'm trusting you with this, the least you can do is trust me to not let anyone talk about you."

"I hardly think trying something I like is enough to earn my trust."

Percy smiled. "Maybe not, but I'm working on it." He took a French fry and scooped up and glop of vanilla ice cream, dropping it in his mouth. "That tastes weird."

Malcolm rolled his eyes and did the same thing. "You're the one with weird tastes. This is delicious."

"I must corrupt you."

"You eat blue eggs! You have no say."

 ** _Not His Type_**

"I heard that you graduated? Congratulations. Considering you've been homeschooling yourself since you were eleven."

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "I haven't been homeschooling myself since I was ten, Will. I've been homeschooling myself since I was fourteen. The older Athena children helped me prior to that."

Will snorted in return. "And you don't think it's an accomplishment to graduate high school with only having gone one year? Isn't this graduating early as well?"

He flushed and looked away. "It isn't that much of an accomplishment. Annabeth graduated early too."

"Annabeth has been attending normal schooling for the past three years," Will shook his head. "Stop being humble, Malcolm. All this praise you have been receiving? You deserve it. Not only have you beat the odds and survived into your late teen years, but you've graduated high school early. You're a role model to demigods everywhere."

Malcolm simply shook his head. Percy had said something similar to him when he had attempted to play down his achievement. Of course, Percy needed only make pleading puppy eyes at him to get his own way. Will, however, had never had such a sway over his friend. "Whatever. I'll stop being humble. My high school diploma isn't the reason I came to talk with you today."

Will chuckled. "I figured. Why else would you think it important to visit your best friend after having not seen him in ten months?"

"I never said you were my best friend."

"Call it my intuition then."

Childishly, Malcolm stuck his tongue out, causing Will to laugh. "Unless you're talking about your smother intuition, you have none."

Will gasped. "I am not a smother!"

Malcolm snorted. "You are an overprotective mother hen, making you a smother." Will only huffed and muttered out a few things that Malcolm wasn't sure he cared to hear, considering there sounded to be an insult in them. He let it go, shaking his head as he watched Will smirk.

Will went into a rant about one of the professors he had that year and how she had put him through hell. Malcolm was only half listening. He had heard a similar rant the year before, seeing as the past year had been Will's second at University, so he felt as if he could give the appropriate responses without putting all his attention into it.

The son of Apollo had just compared his professor to one of Hades' Furies when Malcolm cut in abruptly, "How many dates do you have to go on before you are officially dating someone?"

When he received no answer, Malcolm raised his head. Will was staring at him, jaw seemingly broken with the way it opened and closed repeatedly. "Well? I wasn't only thinking out loud. I expect an answer."

He nodded, managing to close his mouth. "I just—I don't know. I should have seen this coming, but is it reasonable to say I didn't expect you to give into him?"

Malcolm bit his tongue. "You don't know what I'm talking about yet."

"Yes, Mal. Yes I do. You're asking how many dates you have to go on with Percy before he's considered your boyfriend," Will concluded. "By your red face, I'll assuming I've hit the nail on the head. How many dates have you gone on?"

His shoulders slumped. Malcolm rested his arms on his knees. "Six…maybe seven. I lost count. We've just been hanging out a lot. Seeing as we live together…lived together it's very reasonable that we spend most of our time together," he looked at his friend with hopeful eyes, "Right?"

A smile broke across Will's face and he cooed. "You're falling in love with him. That's adorable Mal."

"I'm not falling in love with Percy Jackson!" He snapped. "That's Nico's thing. Nico's in love with him. I'm just…fascinated by him."

Will's grin didn't fall as he shook his head. "That sounds totally fake, but whatever." Malcolm snorted. "I'll let you be in denial, for now, but you'll admit it one day. They always do."

"I don't know who 'they' are, but obviously you don't know me as well as you think you do."

"I've known you since you arrived at camp, Malcolm Cage."

"Obviously not well enough, William Solace."

Will flinched as if he had been burned. "I thought we agreed our friendship could only continue on happily if we avoided the use of full names."

Malcolm chuckled, "Then our friendship will continue on unhappily from this point."

He glared, making Malcolm grin. Will sighed and dropped his hand over his chest, "If it must." Malcolm snorted, being reminded of Percy's too many over dramatic moments. "Beyond that, tell me how it's been. I've already noticed that Percy's happier now, but how did you do it? Don't give me that look. I know you must have had something to do with Percy's smile. You've been tailing him for a year now."

"I haven't been tailing him." At Will's look, he huffed. "I've just been…helping him. I saw how sad he was and wanted to help him. I didn't think I would come to care so much about Percy; I just wanted to reopen that friendship we had at one point."

Will nodded. "I can get that. I don't understand why you were interested so suddenly, but I'm glad you were." He glanced out the cabin's window, smiling. "He's happy now. You've made him happy when no one else could Malcolm. That's all that matters at this point."

Malcolm snapped his mouth close, eyes widening a bit. He felt something building up in his chest and vile rising in his throat. "Will…I've done something horrible."

"Huh?" He turned back to his friend. Malcolm's face had gone stony. Will wheeled his chair closer. "Mal, what's wrong?"

"You can't tell anyone." Malcolm lifted his head, watching Will nod. "Last summer, I made a deal with Piper and Annabeth." It was the first time he told anyone. As he went through the details and what he had already done, the weight in his chest tightened. He felt as if he were going to throw up his breakfast by the end of it. "I don't want to hurt him, Will. I-I may not love him, but I can't hurt Percy. I want this to work out."

Will had leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. His jaw was set and Malcolm knew he had done wrong. Seeing Will so angry and silent further assured him he had screwed up. "Do you still want the laptop?"

"What?"

"What's more important to you, the laptop or Percy?"

"Percy." Malcolm didn't even have to think before answering, it seemed so obvious. "Of course I still want the laptop, but not if it means Percy finding out about all of this. Plus, I would feel horrible if I took it now. I mean, I agreed to basically break Percy's heart to win it. I don't deserve it."

Will nodded. "Good. If you picked the laptop, I would have put you in the hospital myself." This threat was not accompanied by a light hearted laugh as it usually was. Malcolm gave a little nod. "I'll keep this between us. Percy never has to know, if you can live with that. I suggest you go to Annabeth and Piper and tell them where to shove it. I don't know what got into them, but I'm getting the Stolls to put a bounty out on those girls."

Malcolm nodded rather than arguing. If Will thought the couple deserved to be put through the Stoll brothers' pranks as punishment, then he would go with it. "Thank you."

"Don't you dare! I'm still angry with you for considering this in the first place." Will's glare made Malcolm flinch back. "Go. I can't look at you anymore."

The son of Athena nodded. He left the infirmary, not looking back. Will, like Nico, was not someone to be messed with when angry.

 ** _Not His Type_**

Upon leaving Will, Malcolm immediately went on a search for Percy. In the last few months, he had discovered that Percy had a calming factor. At this point, he just wanted his boyfriend beside him, not caring what they did. Percy could damn well bring him swimming and Malcolm wouldn't argue.

Rather unfortunately, Annabeth found him first. She engulfed him in a hug, to which Malcolm frowned. His sister never hugged him.

"I just got finished talking with Percy," she giddily explained. He had never seen her face light up as much as it did at that moment. "He was all bouncy, and smiling. I haven't seen him like that since before the Labyrinth! Go figure the reason for his excitement was because he had found himself a boyfriend." Annabeth nudged him. "I didn't think you would actually go through with dating him. I thought you would skim out on it, just remaining his friend and working from there." She pulled the flash drive from her pocket. "You've earned this, Mal."

Bile rose in his throat. Just seeing that flash drive, remembering what he had agreed to do and what he _had done_ in the beginning for it, made him sick. Had he honestly agreed to hurt someone just for a few computer files? Malcolm bit his tongue until he tasted blood. He was the worst kind of person, whether he followed through with his original plan or not. "I don't want it."

Annabeth faltered at that. "What do you mean? We made a deal. Allow me to keep up my end of the bargain."

"It's a deal I never should have made. Keep it. Daedalus gave _you_ his laptop for a reason."

Annabeth huffed. "I don't know what kind of pride you're messing with, but it was a fair deal. You made Percy happy. You fixed him. Stop squashing _my_ pride and take the damn flash drive."

Malcolm raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "It's not about pride. I care about Percy. Hell, I might even love him given time. If I take that, I'll be going back on everything. Going through with this will hurt him more than considering it. I'm sorry if I'm 'squashing' your pride, but I think this is more important." He walked away.

His continued search for Percy was interrupted just as he rounded a corner and was out of Annabeth's hearing. Piper stood there, leaning against the wall of a cabin. She smiled at him and Malcolm sighed. Another interruption. "I don't want to hear it."

Piper chuckled. Her smirk never wavered. "I was just going to say congratulations, and that you did a good job." Her chuckle grew into laughed as Malcolm arched a suspicious eyebrow. "I was serious about what I said. Percy needed you, not someone like you. That's why I talked Annabeth into it. She wanted Percy better, and I convinced her you were the way to go. She would do anything for him."

"If you're willing to charmspeak your own girlfriend, then maybe I was wrong about you." It wasn't the right thing to say; Malcolm knew that the moment he finished.

The cheerful humor fled Piper's manner immediately and was replaced with a darkness he never knew her capable of. "No. _Never_. I would _never_ take advantage of Annabeth, _especially_ with something like that, you fucking snot. I am capable of getting my idea through without _forcing_ my will on people." She moved forced until their faces were only a few inches apart. Despite having the height advantage, Malcolm felt no bigger than an insect. "Don't be an idiot, Cage. Back down."

Pride wasn't a considering factor at that moment. Malcolm relied more on self-preservation as he bowed his head and took a step back. He had seen Piper fight. Whether she liked battle or not, she knew how to take down an opponent and Malcolm wasn't interested in being on the receiving end of her blade.

"That's what I thought. I love Annabeth. You'd best remember it next time you so much as _think_ of suggesting I would take away her will." The words sounded more like a dog's snarl than human. "I saw Percy running into the stables. Go see what's wrong with him before _I_ change my mind about _you_."

He didn't have to think twice. "Thanks. I…take care of my sister." With those words extended as his peace offering, Malcolm went on his way. He had been right about Piper. She was the force Annabeth needed to keep her stable.

 ** _Not His Type_**

Upon first glance, the stables looked empty excluding its horse occupants. Malcolm knew better. He continued inward, knowing he would find Percy eventually.

"Perce?" The sea prince had hidden in one of the unoccupied stables. Malcolm leaned on the closed door, looking in. Percy was curled up in a corner, his eyes blank as they stared at the wall. "Percy, what are you doing in here all alone?" He let himself in. Malcolm knelt in front of his boyfriend. "I've been looking all over for you."

It took a full minute for Percy' eyes to refocus on him. His Adam's apple moved as he swallowed. "How…how did your bet with Annabeth go?"

Malcolm furrowed his eyebrows together. "What are you talking about?"

Percy sat up straighter, though he still hugged his knees. "Before I asked you out, you'd told me you had made a bet with Annabeth last summer. You said it was complicated and you would explain it to me later. I figured you would tell me after you could explain it yourself." He dropped his chin to rest on his knees. "I'd meant to ask Annie about it earlier, when we were talking about our years, but I forgot. When I saw you going to talk to her, I figured it was as good a time as ever to ask. That way we could celebrate or I could be your shoulder to sulk on, either way. Think how surprised I was to find out the 'bet' was about me."

Malcolm's face paled. "It wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like?" Percy's hallow laugh made his heart stop. "Because it sounded like you had made a deal to play with my heart with my _best friend_. How long have you two been plotting? Did Annabeth suggest you make me love you, or was that your idea?" His jaw tightened. "Did it ever occur to you that, just maybe, in your vain attempt to 'fix me', you would break me even more?"

Malcolm didn't speak for a while. He just knelt there, unable to find the words that would fix this. He shifted until he sat in front of Percy. They would be here for a while. "Yes. I thought of that first. I told her no, at first."

"But then she pulled out that damned flash drive to sweeten the deal, right?" Malcolm's nod caused that hallow laugh come back. "I'm such a fucking idiot. Why did I think a guy like you could care about me? Are you even gay, or were you planning on asking out Gardener when we were done? Don't think about lying to me, not after all you've done."

"It's not like that. I _do_ like you. I like _you_ , Percy, not Katie. I didn't fake those feelings." Malcolm reached for his hand, but Percy pulled away. It stung, but he deserved it. "I won't lie to you. It started out as being part of that pact I made with Annabeth. You're right about that. That's why I befriend you. That's why I spent all of last summer with you, getting to know you, being your clutch. I didn't agree to move in with you because of it. You'd grown on me. I _liked_ being around you. We were friends. I wasn't doing it because I wanted that flash drive. I genuinely wanted to help you. The flash drive just seemed like a bonus for helping a friend at that point."

Percy wouldn't look at him. "What about when I asked you out? All those dates? _You_ planned a number of them. That couldn't have been faked…right? You're not some great asshole who thought it would be fun to play along because Annie…Annabeth told you to?"

 _Shit_. Malcolm felt bad for his sister. Her friendship with Percy wasn't going to be the same. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to care too much. It was more important to preserve what relationship was possible for himself with Percy at the moment. Annabeth could deal with the grave she had dug on her own. "I didn't even consider how dating you could play into that pact until after I had already agreed. Then, after the first date, I didn't care. You weren't the stupid, wound puppy I thought you were when I agreed. You could make me smile. You knew how to calm me down. I decided to let fate happen, so to say. I wanted to date you, regardless of anything else."

Percy gave him a nod. He had gone back to staring at the blond with those eerie green eyes. It was unnerving, but Malcolm kept silently. He _deserved_ this. "Were you ever going to tell me the truth? That our relationship was started on a lie?"

He considered what Will had told him. "No. Not now, or for a long while. Maybe in the future, but our relationship was too new and fragile right now. I didn't want to lose it because of a mistake I made." He paused. "On second thought, it wasn't a mistake." Percy sucked in a sharp breath. "I would have never befriended you if it wasn't for that pact. I admit, I was horrible. I am horrible for even taking it, but I don't regret it. I would never had befriend you, dated you, if I hadn't."

"Don't you think we would have eventually gotten together if that's what fate wanted?"

Malcolm wanted nothing more than to reach out and wipe away those little tears building on the edge of Percy's eyes. He barely restrained himself. "With everything that has happened in your life, you do honestly believe in fate giving you anything?"

That got the smile Malcolm was hoping for. It was a small one, but Percy's lips still tilted upward. "Very funny."

"Thank you. I try."

Percy huffed, glaring at him. "Don't think you making me smile will get you off the hook. I'm still angry."

Malcolm sighed, small smile still in place. "You can't blame a guy for trying, can you?"

Thankfully, that also made Percy smile. "I suppose I can't, especially after you broke my heart." And, just like that, Malcolm felt as if he were slapped. From the look Percy was giving him, he assumed that was the intention.

He pushed through it, because that's exactly what Percy had been doing for years and Malcolm wasn't willing to give up. "Where does this leave us?"

"I'm not sure. I'm angry with you. I'm furious at Annabeth. I can't look at you without my heart hurting. I don't know if I want to punch you in the face or breakdown in tears." Percy ran both hands through his hair, leaving it wild. Malcolm nearly smiled at the sight, images of all the times _he_ had done that to Percy's hair going through his mind. "I…we can't go on like this."

"Are we…Percy, are we breaking up?"

Percy was silently for so long, Malcolm worried he would never have an answer. "Yeah. We are." He stood. Malcolm didn't know how. He felt as if he would fall if he tried that. "It's probably better this way. I won't be holding you down. You'll be able to go to a university without having a high school student burden of a boyfriend." He offered a hand.

Malcolm stared at it. Percy laughed softly. It sounded strained. He grabbed Malcolm's hand and forced him upward. Malcolm clung to that hand, terrified he would fall the moment he let go. "You're not a burden."

He chuckled and shrugged. "You only think that now because you're still in shock." Percy looked down at their hands and pursed his lips. He pulled his hand away. "Goodbye Malcolm Cage."

He was gone, and Malcolm felt his heart crumble.

 ** _Not His Type_**

University wasn't enough of a challenge. Despite his outrageous number of hours, Malcolm still found he had time to think about Percy. That, of course, had to mean he wasn't working hard enough. If he had time to think about a guy who did want him, who he didn't deserve, then school wasn't important enough.

It was only after two months of this that Will finally noticed Malcolm's bad habits. Malcolm didn't see how it was Will's business if he sometimes skipped breakfast…and lunch. Plus, eating a small dinner was healthier for the body! Mister pre-med should know that. But, according to Will, an apple and bottle of water wasn't sustainable enough to be considered a healthy dinner. Honestly, Malcolm wasn't sure what had made him think it a good idea to share an apartment with Will in the first place. He should have known those coddling instincts of Will's would kick in eventually.

It just so happened those instincts had to kick in the weekend before midterms.

Malcolm had been planning on staying in that weekend and studying nonstop. It was reasonable. He needed to keep his GPA up to keep his scholarship. Will had other plans for him.

Those plans found Malcolm locked out of the apartment, without his textbooks. He had been given orders to spend the day relaxing and not be back before ten p.m. Malcolm had scuffed and snidely commented that Will could just put a sock on the door if he was having someone over. That _had_ gotten Malcolm's phone taken away from him. He had never thought his friend to be so sensitive.

After wondering aimless for a few hours, eventually finding himself in a little diner. He stood in the doorway for a minute and wondered why he had come here of all places. Then his stomach growled. He hadn't eaten breakfast and his dinner had consisted of an orange and handful of cashews. Maybe skipping breakfast hadn't been such a good idea, but Malcolm had assumed he would be in _his_ apartment all day with his free supply of food. A bit reluctantly, Malcolm slipped into a booth further away from the rest of the customers and waited patiently for a waitress. He didn't bother looking at the menu. A basket of French fries would hold him off until Will gave up this silly charade.

When none of the wait staff approached after five minutes, Malcolm considered leaving. If he waited long enough, his stomach would stop making noise and could be ignored. That's how it usually was. As he moved to stand, a basket of fries was placed before him. Following that was a small bowl of ice cream. "I didn't order yet."

"Call it a lucky guess," he laughed.

Malcolm's eyes widened. He was almost afraid to look up and see that kind smile he didn't deserve.

Percy saved him the trouble. He sat across from Malcolm. "I thought it might be a good idea to take my break early when I saw you come in." He took one of the fries. "We haven't talk in a while."

The blond licked his lips. His mouth felt drier than usual. "Not since the beginning of summer," he offered, wondering when his throat took a scratchy tone. It hadn't been like that a few minutes ago.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was too angry to during Camp, then I've been busy with school and my job." Percy's smile was more apologetic now. "My grades are still good, but not good enough to get me a scholarship anywhere."

Malcolm shook his head. "It's fine. It isn't as if I was trying to keep in contact." He was doing the opposite, in fact, too terrified of having the door slammed in his face if he tried the Jackson-Blofis apartment. "You've kept your grades up?"

A grin slipped onto Percy's face as he nodded proudly. "Of course. I couldn't go back to my old habits and disappoint Mom and Paul. They're expecting me to get into a good university…well, Mom expects me to do whatever makes me happy, but that involves future schooling at the moment." He nodded to the food. "Eat. I only brought ice cream for you."

"So you remembered?" After a moment of hesitation, Malcolm used one of the fries to scoop up a bit of ice cream. "Or did your taste buds get better?"

Percy snorted. "Do you honestly think I could forget our first date and all of your bad tastes? Seriously, who eats cold pizza?"

"At least _I_ don't think Marvel is better than DC."

"Hey!" Percy wiggled a fry at him. "Marvel has Captain America."

"And DC has more female superheroes," Malcolm rolled his eyes. "Besides, I read the comics, which means my opinion is right."

"Comic books are expensive, and it doesn't count because borrow them from Clovis. The movies, however, I can find on the internet for free. Excuse me if I think cinematic Marvel is better than cinematic DC."

Malcolm sighed. "Marvel has produced some good movies…but DC's television shows are better."

Percy grinned. "Yeah. After you forcing me to sit through _The Flash_ and _Gotham_ I see your point." He pursed his lips. "Shall we agree to disagree?"

After a minute of mimicking Percy's expression, resulting in the sea prince pouting, Malcolm grinned and nodded. "Yes, agree to disagree. That's how it usually is."

The darker haired man nodded. He made a face as Malcolm used the fries as a spoon for ice cream. "Yeah, it is. Sometimes I think you and I have less in common than Annabeth and I did."

The mention of his sister was enough to sober his building good mood. "Are you and Annabeth still talking?"

Percy fidgeted with a napkin. "Yeah. For a while, we weren't. I was really mad at her and all I wanted to do was scream. After she cornered me once and I yelled, Annabeth was pretty happy to avoid me as well. We started talking again, over the phone, but not as much. The tension is still pretty thick. It will be until I'm not angry anymore." He picked at the edges of the napkin. "I don't…feel betrayed anymore. I understand why she did it. She was worried about me isolating myself. She thought tricking me was the only way to make me move on from the wars, get over the PTSD and shit. Well, I should have seen it coming. Annabeth has always been a meddler. I just never thought she'd do _that_."

Malcolm listened silently. His sister deserved it. She was in the same wrong he was. Annabeth should consider herself lucky this little stunt didn't completely ruin her friendship with Percy. "I'm glad you're working on making up with her. Even if things haven't always been great, she's your friend. I doubt Annabeth thought about what the consequences of this one could be."

Percy's laugh was quiet, but it was enough to make Malcolm smile. "That's funny, Annabeth not thinking something through. This whole situation seems one of those 'learn your lesson' stories. You've been planning this from the beginning, haven't you Cage?"

He chuckled. "Can't blame a guy for trying."

The sea prince was silent for a few minutes. Malcolm found himself looking everywhere but at him, his heart speeding up. "No. I suppose I can't." Percy smiled. He leaned across the table. "I missed you, asshole."

Malcolm blinked. "Miss me?" Slowly, he managed a smirk. "And what do you mean, calling me 'asshole'? Have I dropped in your mighty opinion, Percy? Oh, woe is me."

That received a large grin. Malcolm's chest fluttered. "You've got to earn your way back up. At the moment, you're asshole. Prove to me your worth, peasant."

"Fine." He wasn't sure what exactly came over him, but Malcolm stood from his seat. He took Percy's hand. "Perseus Jackson, will you give me another chance and be my boyfriend?"

He didn't have to look around to feel all the eyes in the diner had turned to the two of them. It took everything in Malcolm to resist giving up on this entire charade. The thought of being stared at because he was asking out a man still terrified him. He stood by his thoughts that society was cruel and not ready to accept everyone. That was exactly why he was doing this.

Percy had once told him that no one else mattered. It was the two of them against the world. A public declaration seemed a good way to prove he believed in that, he believed in Percy.

The little smile was answer enough, as was the squeeze to his hands. "I would absolutely love that, Malcolm Cage," but hearing the words made it seem all the more real.

He would have to thank Annabeth one day when things settled down, because Malcolm didn't know what he would do without Percy in his life.


End file.
